Money clip

ABSTRACT

A money clip for holding a stack of paper currency in folded condition and so constructed as to allow easy removal of any single bill in the stack while the remainder of the stack remains intact in the clip. The clip comprises a double clip member of spring wire or spring sheet material, each for clipping one half the length of the folded stack. A central clip element is common to both elements of the double clip. The upper-most clip member may also carry a nameplate, and preferably has an upwardly bent end to facilitate insertion of an edge of the stack of bills.

United States Patent [191 Gordon Jan. 21, 1975 MONEY CLIP [21] Appl. No.: 403,425

[52] US. Cl. 24/81 [51] Int. Cl A44!) 21/00 [58] Field of Search 24/81 MC, 261 PC, 49 CC [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 703,485 7/1902 Shedlock 24/261 PC 818,904 4/1906 McGill 24/261 PC 1,851,013 3/1932 Michaud et al 24/81 MC 2,447,996 8/1948 Biagi 24/8l MC 3,555,623 l/197l Cocchiaraley 24/81 MC Primary Examiner-Paul R. Gilliam Assistant Examiner-Doris L. Troutman Attorney, Agent, or Firm-William J. Ruano [57] ABSTRACT A money clip for holding a stack of paper currency in folded condition and so constructed as to allow easy removal of any single bill in the stack while the remainder of the stack remains intact in the clip.

The clip comprises a double clip member of spring wire or spring sheet material, each for clipping one half the length of the folded stack. A central clip element is common to both elements of the double clip. The upper-most clip member may also carry a nameplate, and preferably has an upwardly bent end to facilitate inseltion of an edge of the stack of bills.

1 Claim, 9 Drawing Figures MONEY CLIP This invention relates to a money clip for holding a stack of paper currency in folded condition.

In the past, attempts have been made to clip paper currency in a stack, but such attempts have not met with success, particularly since the clips were of com plicated construction and did not permit easy insertion or easy removal of a single bill without disturbing the rest of the stack.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel money clip which overcomes the abovenamed disadvantages, which provides secure clipping of a stack of paper currency in folded condition and yet which allows easy removal of any single bill or plurality of bills without disturbing the remainder of the folded stack.

Another object of my invention is to provide a combination money clip and nameplate which will identify the owner of the currency in the event that the money is lost,- which nameplate also serves as a clip element.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from a study of the following description, taken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a money clip embodying the principles of the present invention, showing a stack of paper currency M as it is being inserted in the top-most clip in folded condition;

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a modification showing a different manner of mounting the uppermost clip;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the modification shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an end view as viewed from the left side of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a modification;

FIG. 7 is a rear view of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of another modification; and,

FIG. 9 is a rear view of FIG. 8.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing, numeral 1 generally denotes a money clip for clipping a stack of paper money M in folded condition. The clip 1 is essentially a double clip, the lowermost clip being of sheet material such as spring metal or spring plastic, with side portions 3 and 4 of substan tially triangular outline. The triangular portions of the lowermost clip 3 and 4 are offset, as best shown in FIG. 1, and bent at pivotal edge 2 which forms a common base of the triangular outlines. Since portions 3 and 4 are normally sprung close to each other, as shown in FIG. 2, they will serve to clip one longitudinal half of the stack of paper money M while the other half is folded in the manner shown in FIG. 1 and slid between portion 4 and the upper clip 5 of spring metal or spring plastic wire material integrally soldered, welded or oth erwise joined at 6 to the clip portion 4. The upper clip 5 is shown as having a rectangular outline and an upwardly bent end portion 7 to facilitate insertion of a side of the stack of bills. If desired, a nameplate (not shown) may be attached to the upper clip 5 along its perimeter, somewhat as shown in the modification illustrated in FIG. 6.

Alternatively, upper clip 5 may also be made of spring sheet material instead of wire. Also, for clips accomodating larger stacks, a split cylindrical spring may clip the pivotal portions of the double clip to spring the end portions closer together.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 show a modification very similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 except that the money clip, generally denoted by numeral 8, comprises offset, substantially triangular portions 10 and 11 which are bent at edge 9 and wherein pivots or hinges 12 are formed in the central portion of the outermost clips 13, 13, the hinges 12 entering slots 14 formed along the bent end 9 of the lowermost clip. The end portion of clip 13 is bent upwardly at 15 to allow easy insertion of the paper currency side edges while stacked. It will be noted that the outermost clips 13, 13' form a single integral unit which is pivotal in either direction away from or towards the bent triangular sheet formed of portions 10 and 11. Such pivoting will automatically compensate for different thicknesses of the stack of bills. Also, such construction permits either side clip 13 or 13' to serve as the topmost clip. The above described pivotal spring may be used.

FIGS. 6 and 7 shows a modification, generally denoted by numeral 16 and made of spring wire, either metal or plastic, which may be bent from a single length of wire. Numeral 17 generally denotes a common base portion for the lowermost clip comprising an end portion 18 which extends down to 19 where it is bent for form a triangular portion whose corners are at 19 and 20 to form a central clipping element, whereas the portion bent at the corners 20, 21 and 22, form the other portion of the lowermost clip, for clipping the lower half of the stack of bills. The upper half of the stack of bills, shown in inclined position in FIG. 1, is inserted underneath the upwardly bent end 26 of the rectangular portion 24, to permit easy insertion of the stack of bills. A nameplate 27 is attached to the upper clip 24 whose wire terminates at 25, on which nameplate there may be incribed the name and possibly the address of the owner. If desired, the nameplate may also cover end 26 and may be upwardly bent therewith but without any cracks or breaks that might impede entry of the edge of the stack. The nameplate may bear advertising material.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a still further modification, very similar to that shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, wherein the clip is generally denoted by numeral 30. The top clip 41 formed of rectangularly bent wire 32 terminating at 42 has attached thereto a nameplate 41 to serve as a top clip with an upwardly bent terminal end under which the edge of a money stack may be inserted. The wire extends from portion 32 and is bent at corners 33, 34 and 35, to form the lowermost clip member which cooperates with the intermediate clip member comprising the triangular portion having comers bent at 36 and 44 and preferably being covered by a sheet metal or plastic piece 38 with edges bent at 37, 39 and 40 to form a smooth table-like surface to facilitate sliding thereon, without obstruction, of the upper half of the stack of bills which is clipped between central clip or plate 38 and the upper clip and nameplate 41. In short, plate 41 has a dual function, serving both as the upper clip and as the nameplate.

All the above-described modifications of the invention have the unique function of holding a stack of bills firmly and securely, but with sufficient looseness as to permit removal of any single bill or plurality of bills in any position within the stack without disturbing the remainder of the stack. This is of considerable advantage when picking out the correct number of bills, as when making a purchase.

While the above-described modifications are best suited for right handed persons, they may be easily modified for left-handed persons by reversing the direction of the uppermost clip (such as 5 in FIG. 1) and modifying the remainder of the structure to suit.

The money clip of the present invention avoids the need of a wallet which generally contains drivers license, credit cards etc., therefore may be kept in a more secure place, such as the glove compartment of a car, thus not being subject to be stolen by a pickpocket.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an efficient paper money clip in the form essentially of a double clip for clipping the respective halves of a folded stack of bills and wherein the central clip element is common to both clips and wherein the top-most clip element may serve in a dual capacity of a clipelement, for the upper half of the stack, as well as a nameplate.

While I have illustrated and described several embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that these are by way of illustration only and that various changes and modifications may be contemplated in my invention and within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A money clip comprising a single length of spring wire bent so as to form two outermost clip parts and a central clip part, one of said outermost clip parts and said central clip part being of substantially triangular outline in offset relationship, the other outermost clip part being bent into substantially rectangular outline with an upwardly bent terminal portion, a flat name plate having marginal portions bent over said rectangular portion and thus secured thereto, a second flat plate having marginal portions bent over and secured to the wire portion forming said central clip part to provide a smooth outer surface over which paper currency may readily slide, whereby a paper currency stack may be folded centrally longitudinally with one half of the stack clipped between the substantially triangular outermost and central clip parts after which the other half of the stack is inserted and clipped between the central and name plate forming clip parts. =l 

1. A money clip comprising a single length of spring wire bent so as to form two outermost clip parts and a central clip part, one of said outermost clip parts and said central clip part being of substantially triangular outline in offset relationship, the other outermost clip part being bent into substantially rectangular outline with an upwardly bent terminal portion, a flat name plate having marginal portions bent over said rectangular portion and thus secured thereto, a second flat plate having marginal portions bent over and secured to the wire portion forming said central clip part to provide a smooth outer surface over which paper currency may readily slide, whereby a paper currency stack may be folded centrally longitudinally with one half of the stack clipped between the substantially triangular outermost and central clip parts after which the other half of the stack is inserted and clipped between the central and name plate forming clip parts. 